As the 2017 growing season comes to an end, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to gather final year-end crop production numbers and the amount of grain and
oilseeds stored on their farms. At the same time, NASS will survey grain facility operators to determine year-end off-farm grain and oilseed stocks.

"These surveys are the largest and most important year-end surveys conducted by NASS," explained NASS's Kansas State Statistician Doug Bounds. "They are the basis for the official USDA estimates of production and harvested acres of all major
agricultural commodities in the United States and grain and oilseed supplies. Data from the survey will benefit farmers and processors by providing timely and accurate information to help them make crucial year-end business decisions and begin
planning for the next growing and marketing season."

"Responses to the survey will be used in calculating county-level yields which have a direct impact on farmers around the State. USDA's Farm Service Agency uses the data in administering producer programs such as the Agricultural Risk Coverage
(ARC) included in the 2014 Farm Bill, and in determining disaster assistance program calculations," said Bounds. "NASS cannot publish a county yield unless it receives enough reports from producers in that county to make a statistically defensible
estimate. So, it is very important that producers respond to this survey. In 2016, NASS was unable to publish several large producing counties due to an insufficient number of responses."